Does Cauliflower Wards Off Cancer?

By: Asha Das

Published: Tuesday, April 2, 2013, 9:04 [IST]

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Cauliflower belongs to the cruciferous family. But it lacks the green chlorophyll found in other vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and kale from the same family. Cauliflower is capturing the attention of researchers for its ability to fight cancer including lung, colon, breast, bladder and ovarian cancer.

Cauliflower is proven to provide nutrient support to the detox system and immune system of the body. Keeping these systems functionally active is very important. Various compounds present in cauliflower are proven to be very effective in preventing cancer and in reducing the growth of cancer cells. Include cauliflower in your diet and enjoy its surprising health benefits. Here are some reasons for considering cauliflower as a powerful cancer fighting food.

Detoxification of carcinogens: All cruciferous vegetables including cauliflower contains sulphur compounds that support the detoxification system of our body and thus prevent cancer. Dithiolthiones and isothiocyanates present in cauliflower increases the activity of enzymes involved in detoxifying carcinogens, giving it the reputation of a cancer fighting food.

Reduce growth of hormone sensitive tumours: lndole is a cruciferous compound, which alters the metabolism of hormones that may help prevent or reduce the growth of hormone sensitive tumours. Sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol present in the cauliflower work as an anti-oestrogen to prevent or inhibit cancer cells development.

Antioxidant properties: Antioxidant property of cauliflower is an important topic of research nowadays. It contains phytonutrients, which are strong enough to fight cancer cells. Some phyto-nutrients in cauliflower are beta-carotene, caffeic acid, cinnamic acid, quercetin, rutin, etc. By providing such a great collection of antioxidants, cauliflower helps lower cancer risk.

DNA repair mechanism: Indole-3-carbinol present in cauliflower enhances DNA repair which helps in the prevention of cancer. DNA repair mechanism is very important for the normal functioning of a cell.

Vitamin C: Cauliflower is rich in Vitamin C which can prevent cancer by its well-known antioxidant property. Vitamin C in cauliflower lowers the risk of oxidative stress in our cells thereby helps to avoid cancer.

Magnesium: Cauliflower is rich in magnesium which is important in the oxidation-reduction mechanism of our body. Magnesium is powerful enough to keep our body safe from oxidative stress, thereby preventing cancer.

Include cauliflower in your diet. But remember to keep an eye on your preparation method. Prefer steaming than boiling because it is more likely to retain all the nutrients while cooking.